It's hard to quantify, but your odds are CONSIDERABLY worse. People start getting accepted before Christmas (at some schools) and multiple batches of acceptances have been sent out by this point.

If you must apply this year, go ahead and apply. But be prepared to either settle for a much lower school than you were aiming at, or to wait a year and apply next cycle. (I reccommend the latter. Waiting never hurt anyone.)

puff0ffluff wrote:a qualified candidate is still a qualified candidate.

Timing also affects scholarship money at schools that have begun handing out awards already (some schools, like Northwestern, don't even start thinking about money--except for ED candidates--until March.) You might get in, but you may not get the scholarship you would have gotten if you'd applied early.

Toy size <10 pounds! I was under the impression that you are Asian female(Chinese or Korean-could be wrong please do not get offended) because emoticons used in Asia are somewhat different from ones used in the States(^_^ vs. or lol)!

Does anyone have actual data on acceptance rates relative to date of submission?

I'm 100% sure admissions offices everywhere track how many applications they get throughout the cycle each year and can predict pretty closely how many they should expect during each part of the cycle. So the idea that they would not have enough spots left late in the cycle to accommodate the rush seems off to me.

I'm 100% sure admissions offices everywhere track how many applications they get throughout the cycle each year and can predict pretty closely how many they should expect during each part of the cycle. So the idea that they would not have enough spots left late in the cycle to accommodate the rush seems off to me.

I'm 100% sure admissions offices everywhere track how many applications they get throughout the cycle each year and can predict pretty closely how many they should expect during each part of the cycle. So the idea that they would not have enough spots left late in the cycle to accommodate the rush seems off to me.

But again: I'd really like to see data but can't find any. Anyone?

Check out the Northwestern thread. The OP posted some nice graphs on acceptance rates for those who applied in December, January and February.